Random rants, reviews and opinions of modern technology and it's effects on society, life.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

HP dv6700t: one month recap.

well, i've realized a few things recently after reviewing some of my older blog posts, recipes.Â 1) i need to check my posts a bit more prior to posting (dang you grammar!!)Â and 2) i need to do more followups after i do reviews.

most of the time, i've realized i'm a bit 'geek-struck' when i first get a new device and do a review on it.Â a real test of any new device, toy is the first month of using it.Â to me, the first month is very critical month for owning a device.Â if i am not woo'ed over or impressed or get annoyed with it; i will turn around and either return it or resell it.Â Â so this weekend, i thought i'd do a post one-month recap on my new shiny HP dv6700t.Â Keep reading for some minor flaws and fixes i ran into while using Vista and OSX on it. :)

this last month, i finally had a chance to really put my new laptop through the real-world test of traveling to Floriday for a week and using it as my main computer at home.Â i've already blogged about getting OS X Leopard (10.5.2) up and running on it minus a few quirks/non-working hardware.Â

lets start with the goods; things that i still love about it:

after a month, i still love the design of the laptop.Â it doesn't get old and even makes the older macs in the coffee shops feel a bit 'self-conscious' on their looks. :PÂ yes, the gloss is a magnet for fingerprints but i'll take the trade off.

the glossy screen looks very nice in the dark and in my bedroom at night but can be a tad annoying in a brightly lit coffeeshop/room or a room with windows or anywhere outdoors.Â this prob could be resolved by a screen/filter but again another problem anyone w/a new laptop now faces.Â

the keyboard still feels very nice to type on; almost in the same class as the Thinkpad's keyboard (still imo the best laptop keyboard). i'm finally getting used to the larger touchpad and found my perfect settings for it.

the processor in it was definitely worth it; i never run into any lag w/Vista; only if i'm running Photoshop CS3 and watching a movie or on battery rendering an HD Movie clip/loop.

the most useful feature i love the most so far is the fingerprint scanner.Â its nice being able to login via a swipe and also to be able to enter your web passwords via a swipe (instead of typing; may help w/key logging type of viruses or wifi traps).

the webcam and mics are nice for instant podcasting or getting pics of the family/relatives right away.Â so everything that i loved about it right away, i still love!Â

now to the minor probs i've had and issues....

vista will not show the time remaining on the battery.Â apparently this is an issue w/all HP laptops and Vista.Â HP of course does not have a fix or admits the problem; rather they have so far pointed me towards commercial power management apps instead. arg!Â also, i hear occasional static in speakers w/an SDHC card plugged in; but it does not appear to be very consistant.

my HP HDTV Tuner card randomly stops working from time to time; again this does not seem to be related to my laptop but just another annoyance and reason to not use my laptop as a DVR.Â working on finding a fix that does not require a full system rebuild.

the bottom area can heat up a little but nothing like my pals hp dv9700t from last year; the main problem is theÂ area that hp placed the air intake and fan exhaust for it; on the bottom of the laptop.Â this is ok if your like me and have the 12cell battery so it props up the laptop but not so good for those w/the 6cell battery or those who use it on their lap.Â the penryn cpu does run much cooler than any dell i've used in a while, xps 1330 included.

finally, osx issues and fixes; i figured out my sound issues; basically i had to either choose to have sound and then not be able to shutdown properly (laptop will appear to shutdown but power and lights are still on; have to power off by holding power in) or have no sound and shutdown fine.Â as you prob guessed, i opted for the sound. :) hehe.. here's a link to the HD Audio at insanely mac

i hope to resolve the minor issues.Â i plan to add an HP Mini Note to my laptop family (once they get an Intel cpu in it!! no via for me; i remember them from my mini-itx and carpc days. just doesn't have the power i need).